


Hotstuff

by fallenandthefaithless



Series: November prompts [2]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Cas's POV, Fluff, M/M, Nicknames, Post s14, human!Cas, this is ridiculously sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-14 17:06:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16496711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallenandthefaithless/pseuds/fallenandthefaithless
Summary: The names had started long before their relationship had.





	Hotstuff

**Author's Note:**

> Day two of my November prompts and this one is for the prompt 'pet names'

The names had started long before their relationship had.

Castiel had noticed early on that Dean was prone to giving people nicknames and had been at first confused when Dean had turned his attention on Castiel himself. Fairly quickly though, he had become used to being called Cas, even preferred is and had come to find being called by his full name jarring.

The nicknames hadn’t always made sense, at least not to Cas, and some had been barbed but as the years had passed the names that Dean directed his way became softer, lingering in the air between them like so many other unspoken things.

‘Hey, buddy. You didn’t fall asleep on me did you?’

‘Heads up, angel.’

‘Morning, sunshine.’

‘Put the cat down, sweetheart. We definitely do no need to take it home with us.’

Cas had thought things wouldn’t change much once he and Dean had sorted themselves out, covered in sweat and graveyard dirt, blisters forming on Cas’s newly human hands and Dean’s lips pressing against his own. He had thought that what happened between them would be kept private and that Dean wouldn’t call him anything too telling.

The first time Dean had called him sweetheart, in front of Sam and Mary no less, Cas had frozen and waited for Dean to realise his mistake. Neither Sam or Mary had reacted but Dean had frowned at him before taking Cas’s hand in his own.

‘Cas?’ his voice had been quiet but Cas couldn’t hear anything else. ‘You alright?’

‘Ah - yes. Yes, I’m fine,’ he’d managed to stutter. Dean had smiled, his thumb stroking over the back of Cas’s hand and Cas’s throat had dried.

‘You sure? You look a bit spooked, sweetheart.’

‘I’m good,’ Cas had said, his chest warming and he’d clutched at Dean’s hand. His heart had been racing and a smile had broken out across his face.

From then on it had been like a dam had broken and there was no stopping Dean’s litany of names for Cas.

‘Hungry, babe?’

‘Nice shot honey.’

Every time Cas’s chest would tighten and he’d be helpless but to smile at how open Dean was with his affection.

Despite his joy at this openness, or perhaps because of it, Cas began to think about his own terms of endearment, or rather, the lack of. It had never occurred to him to call Dean anything other than his name but with the increase of Dean’s nicknames for him Cas began to worry that Dean may feel neglected.

After a brief search on the internet Cas was forced to the conclusion that he had indeed been neglectful and quickly resolved to fix this oversight and return the gesture.

‘Thanks baby,’ he said, the words awkward in his mouth, as Dean handed him a beer after a hunt. Dean paused and raised an eyebrow at him before he sat down next to him.

‘You alright?’ he asked quietly and Cas’s stomach swooped as Dean leaned forward.

‘Yes,’ Cas said and watched as Dean slowly nodded before he took hold of Cas’s hand while he took a sip of his beer. He immediately resolved to do better as his first attempt at affectionate nicknames had clearly wrong-footed Dean.

‘Watch out, hotstuff,’ he said when he walked behind Dean in the kitchen. Dean whirled around, almost dropping the tray of homemade chips he’d made for dinner as he stared at Cas with wide eyes.

‘Cas,’ he said breathless and Cas raised an eyebrow. Dean merely stared at him wordlessly for a moment before his cheeks had darkened and he’d spun back to face the oven. While neither said anything else until dinner was ready Cas couldn’t help but feel as though he’d done something that hadn’t quite won Dean over.

None of his other attempts worked out either. ‘Honey-cakes’ made Dean yelp while Sam choked in the backseat. ‘Darling’ had made Dean oddly silent again. ‘Sexy’ had caused Dean to spit out his coffee and for Sam to ban both of them from the library for a whole day. 

With every failed attempt Cas felt worse, especially as Dean continued using his own nicknames, in the car, in the kitchen, in bed, on the couch. A constant flow that threatened to drown Cas and left him feeling an odd mix of contentment and frustration.

It wasn’t until ‘pumpkin’ however that things came to a head. Dean has actually dropped his phone while Sam and Rowena had burst into laughter where they sat opposite Cas.

‘What the fuck, Cas?’ Dean said, his voice rising with every word and Cas had felt his cheeks heating before he’d leapt to his feet and stormed out of the war room. He paid no attention to where he was going until he was suddenly in front of the door to the bedroom he shared with Dean.

He pushed open the door and almost stumbled to the bed, not sure if this is really where he should have gone. After all, it would be easy for Dean to find him and after his latest blunder he wasn’t sure if he wanted to see him right now. Of course, these thoughts didn’t stop Dean who burst into the room only moments after Cas had sat down.

He hesitated for only a moment in the doorway before he’d stepped forward, closing the door behind him as he made his way over to Cas. He sat down next to him and for a moment they were both quiet before Dean spoke quietly.

‘Cas. What’s going on?’

‘I…’ Cas took a deep breath but still didn’t look up at Dean. ‘You always call me nicknames as a sign of affection. I didn’t want you to feel as if I don’t care and so I wanted to return the gesture.’

‘Cas, sweetheart,’ Dean said with a weak laugh. ‘You don’t have to force yourself to call me something else because Cosmo told you to or whatever crap you’ve been reading. I call you names because I want to but I don’t… expect you to do the same.’

‘I don’t want you to be disappointed though,’ Cas said, his voice stronger and he looked up only to be met with Dean grinning and shaking his head at him.

‘Disappointed? Really? No way in hell, Cas.’

‘You’re sure?’ Cas squinted at him and Dean laughed and reached for him. His hands slid around the back of Cas’s neck and pulled him in until their noses brushed but their lips didn’t touch as Dean continued to talk.

‘Damn sure. You can call me whatever you want to but you don’t have to call me anything but Dean, you know.’

‘And you’d be happy with that?’ Cas asked, a smile tugging at his own lips.

‘Yeah, angel. I’m happy with that.’

‘Okay, Dean,’ Cas said and Dean chuckled before pulling Cas in completely. He kissed him softly, his lips lingering for a long moment before he pulled back again.

‘Perfect, Cas.’


End file.
